(CN) - An Alabama school board failed to prevent a sheriff's deputy who worked as a school resource officer from engaging in sexual relationships with two female students, the young women claim in federal court.
Paula Franklin and Haleigh Lowery, now both over 18, claim in a lawsuit filed in the Birmingham, Ala. Federal Court that the Chilton County Board of Education and others essentially looked the other way when they became involved in sexual relationships with former Chilton County Sheriff's Deputy David Hubbard.
Hubbard, Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon and Chilton County are also named as defendants in the action.
According to the complaint, the former deputy, who also later worked as a substitute teacher, maintained "ongoing sexual relationships" with the two women, who were then minors, and that "Defendants did nothing to stop or prevent Defendant Hubbard from continuing these relationships while in their employment."
Hubbard allegedly met Franklin while responding to a domestic disturbance complaint.
At the time, the teenager was living with her mother at the time, and Hubbard escorted her to the hospital on the night of the incident.
According to the complaint, Hubbard began exchanging text messages with the plaintiff, leading eventually to "a sexual relationship."
"In addition, Deputy Hubbard provided alcohol on multiple occasions to Paula Franklin," the complaint adds.
Hubbard met Haleigh Lowery while working at her school, the complaint says.
"Using his position as a School Resource Officer and substitute teacher, he made sexual overtures to many female students, including Haleigh Lowery," the complaint states.
He then allegedly texted Lowery "outside of school hours" and began picking her up and providing her with alcohol, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Franklin's mother complained to the sheriff's office but received only mistreatment in response. She and others in her family were "verbally abused, threatened and followed," the complaint says.
In the summer of 2014, Hubbard was arrested on dozens of sexual misconduct charges. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to six different criminal counts, including four counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under 19.
Franklin and Lowery seek compensatory and punitive damages on claims of outrage, sexual assault, contributing to the delinquency of minors, negligence, harassment and violations of the Fourth Amendment.
They are represented by H. Arthur Edge III of Birmingham.
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